Friday 11 August 1997.
As Diablo 2 wrapped up developnt and Zaboru finished assigning follow-up tasks to his Team Tempest, he decided to return to Japan for a short while. His return marked a shift in focus as the official developnt of Tenchu by the ZAGE Japan division—Team IZAN—was entering its final phase. Unlike typical ZAGE release schedules, this particular launch was happening unusually early in the month. Tomorrow, Saturday, 12 August 1997, Tenchu would be officially released.
The reason behind this timing was strategic: Tenchu was launching alongside Diablo 2, allowing players to experience both titles concurrently. Zaboru envisioned a dual-impact release weekend that would dominate player attention across multiple genres—action-stealth with Tenchu and dark fantasy RPG with Diablo 2.
Not long after, Zaboru held a celebratory event with Team IZAN to honor the completion of Tenchu. The atmosphere was electric—cheers filled the air, laughter echoed through the halls, and the entire team was in high spirits. It was a rare and well-deserved mont of relief and camaraderie. Team mbers shared food, drinks, and stories of late-night coding marathons and last-minute breakthroughs. Everyone knew they had accomplished sothing great, and the pride in their work showed on their faces.
Employees were not only excited about what they had created, but also eager about the promised bonuses, which had beco a ZAGE tradition following successful project completions. The room buzzed with both gratitude and motivation, as many whispered among themselves about what might co next.
After the celebration died down and the music faded out, Zaboru gathered with Team IZAN's top leadership—Satoru Iwata and Eiji Aonuma. Together, they walked through the halls of the ZAGE TOWER, eventually arriving at the eting room where Zaboru would present their next mission. The energy hadn't faded—it had simply shifted, from the joy of success to the anticipation of a new challenge ahead.
"Okay everyone, thank you for being here today," Zaboru began, his tone warm and energized. "Once again, I want to congratulate Team IZAN for delivering their task flawlessly. Your leadership, dedication, and attention to detail made this possible." He smiled proudly, scanning the room before continuing.
"But as we all know, we're ZAGE. And if there's one thing we never do, it's idle. If we're standing still, then we're no longer ZAGE—that's the truth." He paused for emphasis, then held up a thick presentation folder. "With that said, I've brought you the concept for our next ga. It's here, and I'm excited to show you where we're headed next."
Zaboru then handed out a folder to each participant seated around the table. As they opened them, they quickly noticed the title of the ga printed on the cover: "Mario Party." A few eyebrows raised at the na—it was catchy, playful, and imdiately sparked curiosity. It didn't sound like a traditional Mario title, and that intrigued them.
"First of all," Zaboru began with a smile, "this is not a sequel to Mario 64. It's sothing entirely different—this is a brand-new ga concept." He waited for a mont as the participants leaned in, now more engaged. "This ga will be a multiplayer-based experience designed for up to four players to enjoy together."
The room stirred with interest as team mbers began flipping through the folders, scanning the concept art, ga chanics, and sample mini-ga outlines. Zaboru continued, pacing slightly as he spoke with growing excitent. "It's going to be a party ga at its core—lighthearted, competitive, and full of surprises. Think of it as a celebration of the Mario universe, brought to life in a way we haven't done before."
"Basically, the ga plays like a digital board ga featuring Mario and his friends—Mario, Luigi, and others. Up to four players take turns rolling dice, moving across thed ga boards, collecting coins and Stars, and competing in mini-gas after each round. The main objective is simple: collect the most Stars before the ga ends and erge as the winner," Zaboru explained with a confident smile.
He continued with enthusiasm, "Yes, at its heart, this ga is a collection of mini-gas—but not just a few. We're planning to include more than 50 mini-gas in the initial release alone. And it doesn't stop there—each round presents a random mini-ga, selected through a dice-based draw system. The variety keeps things fresh, unpredictable, and exciting every single ti."
Zaboru paced slowly as the team leaned in closer. "What makes this project really unique," he added, "is the diversity of the mini-ga formats. We'll have 4-player free-for-alls, 2-vs-2 team battles, and 1-vs-3 challenges. This setup ensures that every player stays involved, every round matters, and the ga evolves constantly based on interactions."
He paused, letting the concept sink in, then flashed a sly grin. "It's the kind of ga that can flourish friendships... or end them."
Everyone in the room was buzzing with excitent, their curiosity fully ignited. They were eager to learn more, and Zaboru, noticing the energy in the room, addressed them with a warm smile. "Obviously, I already have plenty of mini-gas planned for the title," he said. "But I want to make it clear—I'm absolutely open to your ideas as well. If you have fun or creative mini-ga concepts, bring them forward. This is a team effort."
That statent lit a fire in the group. Eyes widened, people exchanged glances, and notebooks flipped open.
Zaboru continued, his tone still energetic, "I plan to release this ga in December for ZEPS 3. The timing is no coincidence—this is a holiday title. It's the kind of ga you play with your family, with friends over a break, or at a party. It's about joy, surprise, and a little bit of chaos—just what the holidays need."
He glanced around the room, taking in the enthusiasm. "Anyway," he said with a slight chuckle, "are there any questions, thoughts, or ideas you'd like to throw out right now? Let's hear them."
Eiji Aonuma raised his hand first. "Zaboru-san, will the boards have different thes and chanics, like traps or shortcuts?"
Zaboru nodded. "Absolutely Eiji-san. Each board will have a unique the and its own set of events—so helpful, so... not so much. There will be shortcuts, hazards, and even NPCs that change the flow of the ga. Think of it as an evolving playground."
Satoru Iwata leaned forward. "Are the mini-gas going to be tied to the board the, or totally random?"
"Good question," Zaboru replied. "So will be tied to the board the, especially special events or boss mini-gas, but most will be random. That way, the pacing never feels stale."
Hiroshi Nakagawa one of lead engineer chid in next. "What about solo play? Will there be AI options if soone doesn't have three other players?"
"Yes," Zaboru said confidently. "We'll include adaptive AI opponents with varying difficulties, so solo players can still enjoy the full experience."
Eiji Aonuma raised a curious point again . "Will players be able to sabotage each other? Like using items to block paths or steal stars?"
Zaboru chuckled. "Oh yes, definitely. There will be items—so helpful, so chaotic. Stealing coins, swapping places, blocking progress—it's all part of the fun. We want this ga to be full of surprises."
Satoru Iwata added, "And what about ga length? Can we choose short or long sessions?"
"Yes, Satoru-san" Zaboru replied. "You'll be able to choose how many turns you want before the ga starts—so you can play a quick session or a full-blown competition. Flexibility is key."
Hiroshi Grinned . "This sounds like really fun."
Zaboru grinned. "That's the goal."
After the Q&A session, Zaboru smiled, clearly pleased with the team's engagent and enthusiasm. He thanked everyone once more for their contributions and officially concluded the eting. With a renewed sense of montum in the air, he returned to his office to begin organizing the next steps and continue working as usual before he went back to US
To be continue
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